The Recommended Reading Order for Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel
For the best reading experience, you should follow the publication order of the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series. Author Amy Clipston designed the series with a tight, linear chronology. Characters introduced as supporting figures or suitors in one book often step into the spotlight as the romantic leads of the next. Reading them out of order will expose major spoilers regarding previous couples' happy endings and the resolution of family conflicts.
Here is the recommended reading order:
- A Hopeful Heart (2013)
- A Mother's Secret (2014)
- A Dream of Home (2014)
- A Simple Prayer (2015)
Book-by-Book Breakdown of the Series
1. A Hopeful Heart (2013)
The series begins with A Hopeful Heart, introducing readers to Hannah Glick. Hannah is a young Amish widow struggling to support her three children—sixteen-year-old twins Lilly and Amanda, and her younger son Andrew—following the sudden death of her husband, Gideon. To make ends meet, she takes a job as a housekeeper at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. There, she meets Trey Peterson, a wealthy English businessman and fellow widower who is also grieving. As an unexpected attraction develops, Hannah is caught between two worlds. Meanwhile, Gideon's brother, Joshua Glick, has secretly loved Hannah for years and wants to step in to help raise her family, creating a heartfelt struggle between tradition, grief, and new beginnings.
2. A Mother's Secret (2014)
The second book shifts focus to Carolyn Lapp, a thirty-one-year-old Amish housekeeper at the hotel. Fifteen years prior, Carolyn made a mistake that left her an unwed mother raising her son, Benjamin, under a cloud of community shame and the heavy judgment of her brother, Amos. When Benjamin is falsely accused of injuring a horse belonging to breeder Joshua Glick (returning from the first book), Benjamin begins working at Joshua's farm to pay off the veterinary bills. An attraction sparks between Carolyn and Joshua, but Carolyn is terrified to reveal the truth about Benjamin's parentage, fearing it will shatter her chance at genuine love.
3. A Dream of Home (2014)
In A Dream of Home, we follow Madeleine Miller, an "Englisher" who inherited her Amish grandmother's home in Lancaster County. Seeking a peaceful place to raise her young daughter, Emma, Madeleine takes a job at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. Saul Beiler (who was introduced as a potential suitor for Carolyn in the previous book) is a grieving Amish widower who is struggling to raise his own daughter. As Saul and Madeleine cross paths, they find comfort in their shared experiences of grief and parenthood. The story beautifully navigates the cultural divide and the challenge of blending two different worlds.
4. A Simple Prayer (2015)
The series concludes with A Simple Prayer, which centers on Linda Zook, a shy thirty-two-year-old orphan who survived a tragic buggy accident as a toddler. Raised by an uncaring uncle, Linda has always felt unloved and suffers from low self-esteem. She works part-time at the Lancaster Grand Hotel and the Heart of Paradise Bed & Breakfast. When Aaron Ebersol returns to Paradise after seventeen years of living in Missouri to care for his ailing mother, he faces resentment from his brother Solomon. As Linda and Aaron form a deep friendship, they help one another find the strength to heal from their past wounds and believe they are worthy of love.
The Interconnected Character Web Explained
What makes this series so delightful is the organic way the cast connects. Joshua Glick is first introduced in A Hopeful Heart as a loving brother-in-law hoping to marry Hannah. When Hannah finds love elsewhere, Joshua gets his own romantic journey in A Mother's Secret with Carolyn Lapp. In that same book, Carolyn's family tries to set her up with Saul Beiler, a widower. While Saul is not the right fit for Carolyn, he finds his soulmate in the next book, A Dream of Home, when he meets Madeleine Miller. This continuous thread of returning characters makes Paradise, Pennsylvania feel like a living, breathing community, rewarding readers who start from the very beginning.
What to Know Before You Start
Amy Clipston is highly regarded for her authentic depiction of the Amish community, drawing on her extensive research and personal relationships with Amish friends in Lancaster County. The Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series stands out because it does not isolate its characters within the Amish community; instead, the hotel serves as a bridge where Amish characters and "Englishers" interact daily. The series deals with mature themes like grief, single motherhood, and trauma, but maintains a clean, uplifting, and faith-driven tone throughout. While the series is fully complete, fans of Clipston's style will find similar warmth in her other Lancaster County works, such as the Kauffman Amish Bakery series.